Rockets players glad that Kevin McHale is returning

Rockets players are glad Kevin McHale will be back next season. (James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle)

Rockets players praised the team decision to pick up the option of Kevin McHale’s contract, citing everything from McHale’s experience as a championship player and his understanding of big-man play to the Rockets’ high-scoring offense.

“It’s great,” Rockets guard James Harden said. “He fits for us. He has won championships and he knows what it takes. If our guys are listening to him, we all know he has been there before.”

Rockets forward Chandler Parsons, who could be a free agent this summer, described having McHale back as “a big plus.”

“That’s awesome,” Parsons said. “I love playing for Mac. I’m a big Coach McHale guy. The freedom he gives us on offense, the fact that he’s been through what we’re going through, he’s been where we’re trying to get. That’s definitely a big thing for me, having him back here.”

For Dwight Howard, who signed with the Rockets in part to play for McHale, there was the additional benefit of playing for a player with shared experiences.

“He’s a great guy to talk to,” Howard said. “He understands the game. He understands as a big man the different things that we see that guards do not see. We can talk about it. He’s been around for a while. Especially with a lot of young guys that we have, we relate on a certain level with each other.”